Windowboxes That Won't Dry Out

Nancy Brooker used to be an indentured servant— to her plants. During the hot Kansas summers she would have to water her windowboxes daily. Miss a day, and they would wilt and even die.

And last summer was one of the worst for Kansas gardeners that she can remember; it didn't rain a drop for two months and water was rationed region-wide. But Nancy's plants thrived. How? Gardener's Supply Self-Watering Windowboxes. The boxes are designed with a eservoir on the bottom that holds water, allowing plants to drink water when they need it.

"In the warm spring, I had to water no more than once every four to five days, sometimes stretching up to a week between waterings. In the heat of summer (and over 100 degrees is common), I watered every two to three days," Nancy said.

In the windowboxes she planted combinations of ivy, geranium, coleus, ivy and million bells (callibrachoa). The effect was dramatic and lush.

"One windowbox was so full you couldn't see the box," she said.

Nancy lives in a replica of a 1600s arched barn house. It is also a gardener's dream, with four acres and a variety of sun exposures. Around the house she has planted perennial beds and a variety of shrubs and trees. It is the windowboxes that tie her house into the surrounding gardens and forest.

"The design of my home is fairly unusual. (The windowboxes have) really completed the look of the house," she said.

In this photo by Corliss Wheaton, the Self-Watering Windowbox is obscured by the beautiful flowers.